Beef / Lamb & Pig Price Tracker

[Al R]

Whats classed as organic on a farm? Is it the business name? The holding number? The address or something else? Sorry for my ignorance I have never had anything to do with it whatsoever.

I thought you could have just pulled the lambs out of the organic status fed them up and sold them as conventional. Never thought about the dung being ‘contaminated’ if you hoppered them indoors.

Maybe find some grazing for them elsewhere and kill them off that? If someone wanted to hopper a load of lambs ad-lib on my field I would let them gladly does the ground a world of good.

Can you graze your organic sheep on winter tack or does that have to be an organic farm where they go to?

Could two brothers run from the same place but one operates as organic and one not on seperate land on the same farm but use all the same tackle?

I’ll try and reply as simple and accurate as I can.

1. there’s huge inspections done to make sure everything has been done to organic standards from animal/field treatments etc, whole farms or holdings are classed as organic, it’s not common for business to run organic and conventional enterprises - I do though mainly due to expanding but taking on conventional land from neighbours to work around their arable ground.
The standards of organic are no GM at all, more outdoor environment for livestock hence no feeding lambs inside etc, calves have to be fed until 13 weeks old not 6 weeks. Withdrawal on wormers etc is double. Use manure‘s and not artificial fertiliser. Then with land basically like HLS but higher effectively.

2. Yes they could do it but once they go onto conventional holdings unless desperate circumstances (this drought could be enough for a derogation to graze a neighbours excess grass perhaps) Then they will be classified as conventional and won’t be able to be brought back onto the organic holding.

3. ideally an organic farm BUT I think you can get a derogation to graze stock on conventional ground in the winter for a maximum of 12 weeks but I’m not 100% on that now.

4. it’s possible if they have enough land to split it. Before land becomes organic it’s “in conversion” for 2 years where you get conventional prices for organic yields basically. It’s impossible Short term to swap and change land Etc so wouldn’t be worth it - I know in Russia/eastern block you can have a field organic for a few years then 1 year conventional to spray all the weeds out and then back to organic, basically they treat them all the same but if it gets a herbicide it’s no longer organic over there - very frustrating for those of us that stick by the rules.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

We still winter graze a couple of organic farms that are still worth doing and the time non organic can be on is different, one is 120 days and one is 100 days and absolutely no treatments or supplementary feed.
However with sheep I have never seen the point of organic as they are in most cases already there eating only grass and having mothers milk. We have a large block of land next to us which is no longer farmed but is called organic where they make hay and most of it is thistles!

 

[Sid]

We still winter graze a couple of organic farms that are still worth doing and the time non organic can be on is different, one is 120 days and one is 100 days and absolutely no treatments or supplementary feed.
However with sheep I have never seen the point of organic as they are in most cases already there eating only grass and having mothers milk. We have a large block of land next to us which is no longer farmed but is called organic where they make hay and most of it is thistles!

I have a conventional sheep farming neighbour who keeps his sheep in starvation , doesn't treat maggots until they are rife.
Should I think all conventional farmers are the same?

Organic lamb would have a longer withdrawal period on treatments as well as no chemical fertiliser, or sprays.
Certain animal treatments are not allowed to be used either

 

[lloyd]

I have a conventional sheep farming neighbour who keeps his sheep in starvation , doesn't treat maggots until they are rife.
Should I think all conventional farmers are the same?

Organic lamb would have a longer withdrawal period on treatments as well as no chemical fertiliser, or sprays.
Certain animal treatments are not allowed to be used either

What is the premium on organic at the moment?

 

[Al R]

I have a conventional sheep farming neighbour who keeps his sheep in starvation , doesn't treat maggots until they are rife.
Should I think all conventional farmers are the same?

Organic lamb would have a longer withdrawal period on treatments as well as no chemical fertiliser, or sprays.
Certain animal treatments are not allowed to be used either

Correct although with a vet certificate to prove something is needed for animal welfare most things can be done in extreme circumstances. They’ve even made it so you can dip if you have scab and it’s a quick phone call and not letters/tests back and forth to ask for permission due to scab being so rife.

my conventional flock’s are treated organically but 1 block does get 1 dose of fert but the others are all farmed organically but without a certificate.

There are some organic “farmers” who are a total embarrassment to the whole system/community and most of them are Woodstock 69’ers

 

[Al R]

What is the premium on organic at the moment?

10-15p so not much but come July the price falls 2 weeks after the conventional so often a 40-50p margin that’s on contracts mind, We’ve always been on contract so don’t know what the open market is like but apparently it’s all over the place

 

[Sid]

There are some “farmers” who are a total embarrassment to the whole system/community

I've edited that for you ?

 

[Victor]

Not anywhere near good enough! And they are only offering to pay that due to the strong prices in the livestock markets this week!

Make them bid for them in the livestock markets.

Exeter had 2077 spring lambs on Monday!

Sedge had nearly 1500 spring lambs on Monday!

And both had hellish strong trades for spring lambs.

South Molton had 1800 spring lambs on Thurs.

No idea what Honiton had on Monday but im told the market was packed out with lambs.

Sell live to thrive

What were Higgs like at Exeter?

 

[Old Tip]

Good trade for hoggs yesterday, not had the statement through yet but looked good in the bragging book on the website £80 for 34kg Herdwicks

 

[Jerry]

What were Higgs like at Exeter?

Mate got 98 fir 45kg tail Enders

 

[Chae1]

Speaking to organic farmers who have several farms, I think the key to it is to have one farm organic at a time.

That way you can mix and match, so to speak.

 

[beefandsleep]

If conversion takes 2 years is it possible to spray a field with a heavy weed infestation then sow a fertility building crop with the aim to restart organic production two year later. Part of the rotation so to speak?

 

[hally]

Took old ewes and tail end Hogg to Penrith, moderate collection of wrong bagged mules mainly averaged £90, 54kg Hogg £128

 

[Poorbuthappy]

A few stubborn individuals causing problems at Sedgemoor it seems - they printed this on their market report

 

[cattleman123]

A few stubborn individuals causing problems at Sedgemoor it seems - they printed this on their market report
View attachment 879913

If they went to an all Sat for sheep ...how would they get them all in...different buyers for different classes of sheep...Second thoughts come to mind...but blame the farmers

 

[lloyd]

Why cant live markets have a video link like
they do with machinery sales?
At the moment they are virtually operating like
a red market with no transparency.

 

[Shebb90]

Any update cull cow DW prices

 

[mixed breed]

First draw of Nsl to Oswestry, dropped and went.
Tex x, born end of feb
42kilo £111.50
37.5kilo £96

 

[Skintagain]

First draw of Nsl to Oswestry, dropped and went.
Tex x, born end of feb
42kilo £111.50
37.5kilo £96

Them little ones will likely be worth no more in a month at bigger weights

 

[LAMBCHOPS]

Why cant live markets have a video link like
they do with machinery sales?
At the moment they are virtually operating like
a red market with no transparency.

Fair play to them tho the trade seems fair and consistent. A realisation that we all need a piece of the cake in these difficult times. Video would be nice and maybe it will come in some markets as things always change in modern times . Hereford market 6.800 sheep in and trade looks good